12 Gauge Ammo

The right 12 gauge duck load comes down to shooting distance and target species. Early season teal inside 30 yards? HEVI-Teal steel loads in #4 or #6 shot get the job done at a price that makes sense when you're burning through boxes. Step up to mallards and mixed bag situations at 30 to 45 yards and HEVI-Bismuth gives you density closer to lead without the regulation headaches. Running passing shots on late season divers at 45 yards and beyond, HEVI-XII tungsten loads carry downrange energy and tighten patterns in ways steel simply cannot match at that distance.

HEVI 12 gauge bird shot and waterfowl loads run from BB and BBB for geese down to #2 and #4 for ducks, #4 through #6 for pheasant and upland work, and #5 through #9 for turkey depending on shot material. TSS turkey loads in #9 are increasingly the go-to in 12 gauge 3 inch configurations. The pellet count at that size is high enough to deliver lethal energy to a 10 inch circle at 50 yards and beyond, which is why serious turkey hunters have moved away from lead.

Yes. Federal law has required non-toxic shot for all migratory waterfowl hunting in the United States since 1991. Steel is the most widely used non-toxic option, but tungsten, bismuth, and other USFWS-approved high-density materials are fully legal and outperform steel at range. Regulation has expanded beyond waterfowl too. Many states and federal wildlife refuges now mandate non toxic 12 gauge shells for upland hunting on public lands. Verify current requirements through your state wildlife agency before every season.

Bismuth is safe through full choke barrels and older fixed choke guns. That includes vintage double guns, though anyone shooting Damascus barrels should verify with a qualified gunsmith before running any modern load. Tungsten based loads are a different situation. Do not run them through full chokes rated for lead only. Use extended, ported chokes rated specifically for tungsten or hard shot. HEVI publishes choke compatibility guidance for each load in the lineup, and your firearm manufacturer's specs should always be the final word.

Tungsten 12 gauge shells outperform steel at distance because of raw pellet density. Standard steel sits at approximately 7.8 g/cc. HEVI tungsten alloys run from roughly 10.5 to 15 g/cc depending on the load, and Tungsten Super Shot reaches 18 g/cc. Higher density means more retained velocity and energy per pellet at a given distance, or the same energy from smaller pellets that pattern more tightly. At 40 yards, a tungsten #4 carries significantly more knockdown energy than a steel #4 through an appropriate choke. That gap widens as range increases, which is exactly why late season hunters running longer shots do not go back to steel.